Information
about Hypnotherapy and HypnotherapistsHypnotherapy
is a form of therapy in which the use
of hypnotism constitutes the core of the treatment,
it uses the power of the mind to help heal physical
as well as emotional problems. It helps the patient
discover the underlying emotional and psychological
causes to their ailments.Hypnotherapy is particularly useful in
helping people to deal with stress and anxiety
related conditions such as panic attacks, phobias,
insomnia and other emotional problems like depression,
lack of confidence and self esteem, etc.....

Hypnotherapy
is a form of therapy
in which the use of hypnotism
constitutes the core of the
treatment, it uses the power
of the mind to help heal physical
as well as emotional problems.
It helps the patient discover
the underlying emotional and
psychological causes to their
ailments.Hypnotherapy is particularly
useful in helping people to
deal with stress and anxiety
related conditions such as panic
attacks, phobias, insomnia and
other emotional problems like
depression, lack of confidence
and self esteem, etc.
Hypnotherapy can also help you
change unwelcome habits such
as smoking and nail-biting,
and deal with problems relating
to food and body image. This
is achieved by finding out what
the real problem is and finding
better, more positive ways to
meet your needs
Hypnosis is not a state of sleep
but a state of relaxation varying
from light to deep. Tests have
shown that a person is neither
unconscious, nor asleep. Tests
have shown that a person in
deep hypnosis is in a state
of deep relaxation and engaged
in normal mental activity..The
initial task of the therapist
is to establish rapport with
the client. This involves encouraging
the client to talk about his
or her concerns. The therapist
would spend time with the client
first to take a clinical history.
As well as establishing a clinical
record, the discussion contributes
to building trust and confidence
between the therapist and the
client. Feeling safe, comfortable
and secure with the therapist
helps the induction of a hypnotic
trance The
length of treatments depends
on the problem or symptom and
the individual's circumstances.
With some people a problem like
nail biting can be successfully
treated in one session. Other
problems such as panic attacks
can take up to 5 or 6 sessions.
In
the course of the therapy clients
are usually taught self hypnosis
as part of a number of therapeutic
homework tasks. The
first session usually lasts
one and a half hours with subsequent
sessions between an hour and
an hour and a half.

History
of Hypnotherapy
The roots of medicine by therapy
lie in ancient societies even
earlier than the Ancient Egyptians
and Ancient Indians. Religious
rituals were characterized by
dancing, music, and masked peoples
assuming new identities.

In
the nineteenth century, healers
like Abbe Faria and practitioners
like Franz Anton Mesmer, Scottish
neurosurgeon James Braid, James
Esdaile, John Elliotson, Ambroise-Auguste
Liébault, Emile Coue,
Jean-Martin Charcot and more
recently Andrew Salter with
his conditioned reflex therapy,
began experimenting with the
principles of what we now understand
as hypnosis.

Mesmer's
research into the prevalent
ailment of 'hysteria' led to
the theory of animal magnetism.
This is comparable to modern-day
stress, or in hysteria's most
extreme examples, appears to
bear similarity to post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). A contemporary
of Mesmer had claimed to have
discovered a physical force
in all living things (people,
trees, plants and animals) through
which humans would reach the
hysteria state instantly on
contact with a specially "magnetised"
tree or bush. Following an elaborate
ceremony 'magnetising' trees,
sufferers of hysteria or hysterical
nature would touch the tree
and experience something akin
to a fit, after which the hysteria
would usually not recur.

Mesmer
staged an animal magnetism without
having 'magnetised' the trees
to illustrate that the ceremony
was a sham. However, all of
the volunteers for Mesmer's
event had the same effect from
the non-prepared trees. That
is, the very suggestion of animal
magnetism being at work was
enough to create the bodily
response.

Mesmer
then wrote various theses on
this previously unheard-of psychological
effect, later termed [mermerism]
as shorthand for the effect.
In common parlance, we have
since retermed this the Placebo
Effect. (reference outstanding)

James
Braid was next to develop modern
hypnosis a step further. In
his scientific studies of brain
workings, he became driven to
understand the nature and logistics
of sleep, and specifically dreaming,
in the brain. In his writings
and studies later published
on these findings, Braid referred
to the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos.
As such, the new branch of learning
became known as "neur-hypnology".
(reference outstanding)

Sigmund Freud for the first
15 or so years of his own psychological
treatment in the late 1930s
employed something similar to
hypnosis with his own hysteria
clients, upper-class Viennese
women. This took the form of
the svengali-esque [swinging
watch] technique, to defocus
the eyes before a fully authoritarian
and overt induction.

Presumably
not all Freud's clients found
this effective, as he later
abandoned the procedure in favor
of his newly developed free
association technique. This
is often viewed as the beginning
of modern [psychotherapy], in
that the patient would be asked
ongoing questions to 'keep them
talking' from which Freud would
then deduce an explanation and
treatment based on his own theories
and frameworks. During such
procedures, various props were
used to allude to the patient's
own psychology and preferences...
including inkspots of undetermined
shape Rorschach test (pronounced
'raw-shock') and [lucid dreaming]
similar to waking hypnotherapy
of the modern day.

Although
he showed a preference for his
own home-made procedures, the
principles of conscious, unconscious,
dream utilisation and refinement
of attention are ongoing themes
throughout the majority of his
work. They also predate what
we nowadays refer to as hypnotherapy,
although the chasm between the
schools of psychotherapy and
hypnotherapy has deepened as
these elements of Freud's format
are left aside in favour of
a more [counselling]-based approach.

Milton
H. Erickson, M.D. is considered
one of the most successful modern
hypnotherapists. He has written
many books, journals, and articles,
on the subject, and his accomplishments
are well documented and of divine
interest to those desiring to
learn this profession.

During
the 1970s, Erickson saw unprecedented
success treating his medical
patients with hypnotic procedures.
He was responsible for an entirely
new branch of hypnotherapy as
we now call it, Ericksonian
hypnotherapy. This was the use
of covert suggestion in normal
conversation, without the formal
"you are feeling sleepy"
authoritarian induction rigamorole
used by Freud. ( with thanks
to Wikipedia)

HypnotherapyTechniquesAge Regression
- by returning to an earlier
ego-state the patient can regain
qualities they once had, but
have lost. Remembering an earlier,
healthier, ego-state can increase
the patients strength and confidence.

Revivification
- remembering past experiences
can contribute to therapy. For
example; the hypnotist may ask
"have you ever been in
trance?" and then find
it easier to revive the previous
experience than attempt inducing
a new state.
Guided Imagery - a method by
which the subject is given a
new relaxing and beneficial
experience.

Parts Therapy -
a method to identify conflicting
parts that are damaging the
well being of clients, then
helps those parts negotiate
with each other through the
therapist to bring about a resolution.

Confusion -
a method developed by Milton
Erickson in which the subject
becomes receptive to ideas because
confused.

Repetition
- the more an idea is repeated
the more likely it is to be
accepted and acted upon by the
patient.

Mental State
- people are more receptive
while relaxed, sleeping, or
in a trance.

Hypnoanalysis
- the client recalls moments
from his past, confronting them
and releasing associated emotions,
similar to psychoanalysis.

Post Hypnotic Suggestion
- a suggestion that will be
carried out after the trance
has ended. "When you re-awaken
you will feel refreshed."

Binds or Double binds
- tension on a bind causes trance.
This is like "the centipede
who when asked which comes first,
the left foot or the right,
lost his concentration, stumbled,
then rolled into the ditch".
Binds are very common in hypnosis
and it is essential to know
the capacity of the subject
and to ensure they will concentrate
on the leg that will carry them
through their journey. The duty
of the hypnotist is to concentrate
the subject on their desired
goal.

Visualization
- being told to imagine or visualize
a desired outcome seems to make
it more likely to actually occur.

HypnosisHypnosis is a psychological
condition in which some people may be
induced to show various differences
in behavior and thinking. Although some
individuals experience an increase in
suggestibility and subjective feelings
of an 'altered state of consciousness',
this is not true for everyone. In fact,
some supposed hypnotic indicators and
subjective changes can be achieved without
relaxation or a lengthy induction, a
fact that increases the controversy
around hypnosis.

Intense
debate surrounds the topic of hypnosis.
Some scientists have disputed its very
existence, while many therapists insist
upon its value. One potential source
of controversy is the wide variety of
theories of hypnosis that traditionally
have been split into 'state' and 'non-state'
camps. This controversy may be decreasing
as modern brain-imaging techniques offer
hope for an increased understanding
of the nature of hypnosis and the value
of both perspectives is increasingly
recognized.

The
applications of hypnosis vary widely.
Two distinct applications of hypnosis
are its use in entertainment and health
applications. The popular perception
of the hypnotic experience is that of
the entertainment version. The stage
hypnotist uses a variety of methods
to relax and focus the subjects, eventually
making it appear to the audience that
the subject is asleep or, popularly
termed, in a trance. During the performance,
the subjects seem to obey the commands
of the hypnotist to engage in behaviors
they might not normally choose to perform.

On
the other hand, hypnosis applications
in the medical and health fields are
often experienced very differently.
Evidence supports the clinical use of
hypnosis for pain control, for weight
control, in the treatment of irritable-bowel
syndrome, and as an adjunct to cognitive
behavioral and other therapies. Hypnosis,
itself, is not a therapy, but is effectively
used as an adjunct to other therapies;
hence, "hypnotherapy" is less
preferable than the use of hypnosis-related
techniques as part of an integrated
psychological package. ( with thanks
to Wikipedia)

Glossary
of terms used in Hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy:
-
Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy in
which the use of hypnotism constitutes
the core of the treatment, it uses the
power of the mind to help heal physical
as well as emotional problems. It helps
the patient discover the underlying
emotional and psychological causes to
their ailments.

Hypnosis:-
Hypnosis is a psychological condition
in which some people may be induced
to show various differences in behavior
and thinking. Although some individuals
experience an increase in suggestibility
and subjective feelings of an 'altered
state of consciousness', this is not
true for everyone. In fact, some supposed
hypnotic indicators and subjective changes
can be achieved without relaxation or
a lengthy induction, a fact that increases
the controversy around hypnosis.

Hypnotherapist: - A
hypnotherapist is someone trained to
induce hypnosis to patients, as well
as oversee anything done while the patient
is in this sleep-like trance.

Hypnotism: - Hypnotism
is the act of inducing hypnosis.

Hypnotist: - A hypnotist
is a person who induces hypnosis.

Hypnobirthing: - Is
the use of Hypnotherapy during pregnancy
and childbirth to prepare a mother for
birth and/or to attempt to treat issues
ranging from fears and minor health
conditions related to the pregnancy,
to the possibility of reducing or eliminating
pain during labor.

Hypnoanalysis:
- Is the use of hypnosis combined
with psychoanalysis
Clinical Hypnotherapist: -Clinical
Hypnotherapy is the use of advanced
methods of hypnosis and other techniques
to treat a variety of medical and psychological
problems.

Self-hypnosis: - Self-hypnosis
happens when a person hypnotises himself
or herself, commonly involving the use
of autosuggestion. This technique is
often used to increase motivation e.g.for
a diet, stop smoking, or stress reduction.
NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming):
- NLP is the therapeutic technique
used to detect and reprogramme unconscious
patterns of thought and behavior which
can alter psychological responses.

National
Society of Professional Hypnotherapists
- A non-profit making organisation and
a patron of the General Hypnotherapy
Register, a member of the National Council
of Psychotherapy, and a member of the
General Hypnotherapy Standards Council
-
www.nsph-hypnotherapy.co.uk

UK
Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations.
UKCHO is the new national umbrella body
for the hypnotherapy profession in the
United Kingdom.

The
European Association for Psychotherapy
(EAP)
http://www.psychother.com/eap/